RICHARDSON, TX (12.07.16) - The UT Dallas men's basketball team grabbed a four-point lead with just over three minutes to play but could not hold on for the win as the Comets dropped an 81-76 decision at home to Concordia Texas in American Southwest Conference play.

The Comets (1-6, 1-1 ASC) will look to bounce back on next Saturday, Dec. 17, when they visit Howard Payne to open a two-game trip to West Texas. UTD will then visit Sul Ross State on Monday, Dec. 19, before returning home.

With less than four minutes on the clock in the second half, the Comets broke open a 72-72 game with a Reagan Keogh layup and doubled their lead on their next possession on a lay up by Jon Hatcher to secure a 76-72 advantage with 3:16 left to play. However, the Comets would be held scoreless from that point on as the visiting Tornados ended the game on a 9-0 run to earn their second win over UTD this season.

Caleb Banks led the the Comets with 17 points along with nine assists while Hatcher added 16 points and Kyle Coulter recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Keogh finished with eight points and 10 boards, reaching double-digit rebounds for the third time this season.

As expected, CTX shot nearly 44.7 percent from the field in the opening half but it was the Comets who took a 43-42 lead into the locker room as Coulter drained a three-pointer with just eight seconds on the clock before halftime, giving UTD its first lead since the 16:03 mark of the half. The Tornados entered Wednesday's game as the ASC's top scoring offense, averaging better than 103 points through their first nine games. 

The Comets expanded their lead to four points, 46-42, less than a minute into the second half after a three-point play by Banks, but CTX would counter and knot the game, 58-58, with 18:54 remaining. The Tornados then opened up a five point lead before UTD answered with a 5-0 run knot tie the game at 53-53 with 15:47 left after a Banks lay up. UTD regained a lead with 12:41 remaining on a Ben Smith three-pointer, pushing the Comets ahead 58-55. UTD would hold the lead until the 9:28 mark when CTX's Ephriam Price capped an 8-0 run by the Tornados with back-to-back three-pointers, giving the guests a 63-60 lead with 8:57 on the clock.

UTD re-tied the game at 65-65 with just over six minutes to play but would not take a lead until the 3:46 on Keogh's go ahead lay up.

The Comets ended the night shooting just 38.5 percent (25-of-65) from the field, connecting on 7-of-25 three-pointers (28%), and were 19-of-25 (76%) from the foul line.